Montreal metal gurus Derelict came ripping through town at the end of May, slaying an audience of intense metal-heads at Walker’s Nightclub with their exuberant but deadly brand of extreme music.
Though based in Montreal, Derelict have more than one Saskatoon connection. Impressively, they have managed to steal one of Saskatoon’s best psych-rock drummers, all the while getting their music released on the Saskatoon label Somnambulist Sound (run by Skot Hamilton of The New Jacobin Club and Adolyne).
“Skot at Somnambulist is a very good friend of mine. When I asked him if he was interested in putting out our 2008 release, Carry the Flame, he didn’t hesitate. He has also helped with several shows in the prairies, for which we are very grateful,” said drummer Jordan Perry, formerly of Saskatoon’s The Watercolour Movement (the band which laid the ground-work for both local bands Blood Music and Golden Smoke).
Perry claims to be having the time of his musical life, delving full-on into the genre of metal after ditching Saskatoon for the musical metropolis of Montreal and joining Derelict.
“I have had more fun playing in front of 20 metal dudes at Walker’s than I have in front of a packed house at Amigos in any other genre,” said Perry on his recent return home. And it’s hard not to believe him.
Seeing the band let loose on stage with a rare combination of rage and total blissful enjoyment, Derelict are a sight for bored eyes. In particular, Derelict’s lead singer Eric Burnet created an unbelievably bizarre energy, at levels rarely seen in other genres of music. Burnet, hanging off the ceiling, screamed in low tones and smashed his full head of hair in unison with his guitar-mates while Perry blasted on the double-kick pedal.
With all the fun these guys were having, it was tempting to think of their music as escapist — except Derelict were unapologetically political. Before starting one song, Burnet again destroyed attempts to peg his band and announced, “This song is about being yourself while respecting others.”
“Our lyrics are usually based in reality and when they venture into contrived scenarios they do so to push a message either metaphorically or simply through a narrative that reflects a real-world situation,” explained Burnet after the show.
“Metal is often pegged as an angry musical genre and that is probably accurate for our band. Our new album Unspoken Words deals with issues that most people are aware of but would rather not talk about because they’re uncomfortable, terrifying or guilt-inducing.”
With their new record Unspoken Words just released on Year of the Sun Records, music listeners across the country can hear the honesty and fury of Montreal’s housed homeless, Derelict.
photo Renaud Sakelaris